Nat Tan: Sin Chew and AEC July 15, 2007

Sin Chew Jit Poh had frontpaged the arrest of Nat in their Saturday morning edition, saying that he was nabbed due to Tian Chua’s “French Dinner for 3”.

We jumped. Called them. They apologised profusely, citing ‘source’.

To make up for their grievous mistake, Sin Chew again gave the entire frontpage of its Saturday night’s evening edition (i.e. Sunday) to news of Nat’s remand, photos of his family and a correction to their previous story.

(I’ll insert the snapshot of the paper later)

Now The Star.

They published a similar one on Saturday. I’d told Jed to inform Star’s EIC Wong Chun Wai to do the same. We shall see if he will today. The last I heard, Latheefa Koya, Nat’s lawyer, is sharpening her legal quill….

Later in the evening I accompanied Ginie Lim, who is also a colleague of Nat, to her first Astro live talkshow on AEC Mandarin channel, “Talking Issues”. While the topic was on the murder of a Penang toddler, the popular talkshow began with a review of all headline stories in the Chinese newspapers.

Nat’s news in Sin Chew was the first!

I almost ran up to Ginie to hug her, and she was beaming! And the very competent host spoke about the news piece and Nat, highlighting a few key quotes, including the one which the lawyers said that Nat’s arrest was politically motivated; and even explaining why Sin Chew retracted their earlier news story, for almost 8 minutes!

Like this:

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The spat between int. min. and igp is nothing more than just a show – a decpetion where every praise will eventually go back to the same rotten govt.

They have indeed change their scripts from racial ones to religious and apparent corruptions fighting stances because the GE is nearing and they want the public to perceive that they are doing something. Of course as you all know nothing will change as long as they win the GE again.

Politicians are know as best actors for a reason.

Dont get distracted by the small issue when the bigger issue is right in front of yall.

here’s an idea for all blogs: how about duplicating that posting? on all blogs.

this is what a bloggers united entity should be doing. this will really be the test of how far bloggers are ready to stand behind one of their own and stand up for free expression on the Internet.

just imagine, if all of us can do the exact same thing Nat did. it’ll require uncommon bravery from us, knowing now what has happened to Nat because of what he did can happen to us. but remember the chinese proverb about one arrow being easily broken, but not when a bunch are put together. what can the authorities do – arrest all hundreds of us?

if even one hesitates, more will follow. and then we can never win.

there are alternatives, i’m told. a techie should be able to sprout a thousand blogspot sites. unfortunately, i can’t explain how, being a tech-dummy.

up for it?

EW: SE – There’s no need to mass-link, though a number have done that since Nat’s arrest. NST printed the story on its frontpage. That’s very public already. But I doubt RMP will be detaining anyone from Media Prima.

Erm this certainly does look like a breach of Human Rights under Article 19

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

If any person-
a) attempts to commit an offence under this Act;
b) solicits or incites or endeavours to persuade or conspires with another person to commit an offence under this Act;
c) aids, or abets or does any act preparatory to the commission of an offence under this act,

he (so sexist) shall be liable to the same punishments, and to be proceeded against in the same manner, as if he had committed the offence.